


Bert's Woman

by hlravensnest_archivist



Category: Highlander: The Raven
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-12-31
Updated: 2006-12-31
Packaged: 2018-12-16 21:59:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11837865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hlravensnest_archivist/pseuds/hlravensnest_archivist
Summary: Note from Daire, the archivist: this story was originally archived atHL Raven's Nest. Deciding to give the stories a more long-term home, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address onHL Raven's Nest's collection profile.





	Bert's Woman

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Daire, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [HL Raven's Nest](http://fanlore.org/wiki/HL_Raven%27s_Nest). Deciding to give the stories a more long-term home, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [HL Raven's Nest's collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/hlravensnest/profile).

Bert's Woman by RSSacchi

  
  
  


_Bert's Woman_

By RSS 

* * *

Amanda, Nick, and Bert are in the lead SUV in a three-vehicle convoy; Nick is behind the wheel. Amanda has on a chador and flat shoes. Zahra Rastgoftar, who they are guarding, is in the lead vehicle. She has on lifts under her chador. Jean-Marc Raimbourg and Lucien Nohain are also in the lead vehicle. The vehicle in the rear passes the other two vehicles in the convoy and takes the lead. 

Rastgoftar's vehicle drives next to a parked panel van. The van explodes and Rastgoftar's vehicle flies sideways and lands on its side. Nick spins his vehicle to a stop. Nick turns his head. "Amanda you get behind the wheel." 

Nick and Bert bolt from the vehicle; they and the guards from the lead vehicle converge on the destroyed SUV. 

* * *

Amanda and Nick are in a hospital waiting room; Zahra Rastgoftar and Lucien Nohain died instantly. Bert walks into the waiting room. "Jean-Marc didn't make it." 

Amanda shakes her head. "I'm sorry." 

"Yeah, so am I." 

Nick turns away then towards Bert. "They knew the route and exactly what car to hit." 

"Maybe the car was just a coincidence." 

"I don't believe in coincidences." 

"Inside job?" 

"But how? A couple of others knew the route but knowing exactly which vehicle Rastgoftar would be in when we drove by the van. We didn't even know that." 

"I don't know." 

* * *

**FOUR MONTHS LATER**

Amanda and Nick walk to the entrance of an upscale restaurant. "So we're finally going to meet Bert's new girlfriend. It's obvious she chose this place." 

Nick chuckles. 

"So how did he meet her anyway?" 

Nick turns solemn. "She was Jean-Marc's girl. They kept in touch after the funeral." 

"Did we see her there?" 

"I don't think so. Bert said we managed to miss each other." 

They enter the restaurant and feel the rush of another Immortal. Nick turns to Amanda. "You've got to be kidding." 

From street level they can see the patrons on the floor below. Bert sits with an Immortal woman. 

"I've seen her before." 

"Old friends?" 

"I've seen her but I haven't met her." 

* * *

**NEW YORK, 1930**

A black-clad Amanda and Bernie stealthily make their way through a nightclub's basement. Bernie sticks a rod inside a small hole in the wall and a door pops open. Bernie steps inside a small room and beckons Amanda. Bernie pulls back a scatter rug and pulls up a square section of the floor. 

"Here it is." 

Amanda looks down and sees a combination lock on the door of a safe. Amanda gets on her hands and knees and works at the lock. Moments later the final tumbler falls into place. She turns the handle and opens the safe's door. As Bernie predicted the safe is loaded with money. 

* * *

Amanda sits in a café with Bernie with a view of the Brooklyn Bridge from the window. 

"I really think you'd better go somewhere a little further away. It's not like they don't know how to cross a bridge." 

"I suppose you're right. Maybe I'll go to Jersey." 

"I don't know what I'm going to do with you, Bernie." 

"Don't worry Amanda. They don't call me 'Lucky' for nothing." 

* * *

Amanda walks by a newsstand in a train station. She notices a picture of Bernie and a woman, both shot to death in a hotel room. 

* * *

**PRESENT TIME**

Amanda wonders if it was the woman's first death. It was Bernie's first and last death. 

Amanda and Nick walk down to Bert's table. 

"Hi, Nick, Amanda, this is Evi. Evi this is Nick and Amanda." 

Evi gives a smile, nod, and wink. 

* * *

Amanda figures enough time has passed for her to have a private conversation with Evi. Amanda takes her purse and stands. "I have to powder my nose." 

Evi takes her purse and stands also. Amanda and Evi walk in step to the ladies room. 

In the ladies room, Amanda looks under the stalls. "Amanda, first death 850." 

"Evi Serato, first death 1642, and Nick?" 

"Nick Wolfe, first death 1999." 

"You're his teacher?" 

"Yes." 

"How much does Bert know?" 

"Nothing. I tried to tell him once but he didn't believe me." 

"Reason?" 

"I didn't think I had a choice. Are you at the point where you will have to tell him?" 

"No, not yet anyway, maybe soon." 

Amanda nods understanding. "Let's rejoin them. By the way, did you know a Bernie Lieberman?" 

Evi looks to one side for a moment. "No, why?" 

"Nothing." 

* * *

Amanda sits at a microfilm reader in a Library. Finally she turns to the right day. There's no doubt: Evi was killed with Bernie. Amanda prints out a copy of the page. 

* * *

Amanda walks into Nick's office. 

"Amanda, where have you been all day?" 

"At the Library." 

"You're kidding." 

"No, I went to the Library." 

"I just have trouble picturing you at a Library." 

"I was doing some research on Bert's new girlfriend." 

"Did you find out anything?" 

"Yes, she definitely is the woman killed with a friend of mine in New York in 1930." 

"You sound as if you think she was more than an innocent victim." 

"Call me suspicious, but she gets involved with one man who is wanted by the mob and he turns up dead. She gets involved with another man who is protecting someone and he and the person he's protecting are killed in what appears to be an inside job." 

"Now she's dating Bert. By the way, we've got a contract to provide security for someone who has enemies with deep pockets." 

"What can we do? We can't tell Bert where my suspicions came from." 

"I'll get somebody to follow Evi Serato." 

* * *

Bert and his security team await their client at the airport. Nick takes Amanda aside. "The man I have watching Evi is overdue for his check in." 

"How much?" 

"Two hours. His last report said she stopped at a warehouse where she met two men." 

Bert's voice comes over the microphone. "His plane is pulling up to the terminal." 

Nick nods to Amanda. "It's show time." 

* * *

Amanda drives while Nick sits in the SUV's passenger's seat. Bert and the man they're guarding are in the back seat. They are the middle vehicle in a three-vehicle convoy. A van speeds out from a hidden driveway and crashes into the passenger's side of their SUV and bullets strike it. A Molotov Cocktail explodes on the SUV's hood. Bert takes the man and exit the vehicle on the driver's side. Nick and Amanda also exit the vehicle. 

Another Molotov Cocktail strikes the rear SUV. Gunmen shoot the tires out of the lead vehicle. Bert and Amanda cover the man as Nick and the other bodyguards engage the gunmen. A motorcycle with two riders comes out of a driveway. The rider in the back shoots Bert and Amanda in the legs then shoots the man twice in the head. The motorcycle speeds away as Nick shoots the riders. The motorcycle and riders tumble to the ground. 

Amanda hears gunfire and a skidding car crash. She hopes her legs heal before anyone notices she's been shot. 

* * *

Amanda is in the hospital waiting room. Nick walks in. 

"Bert is going to be all right. The two guys we captured alive didn't make it. The man I had watching Evi, he was found with his head cut off." 

"I've got some business." 

"It's my business too." 

"We'll check the airports, separately." 

Nick nods agreement. 

* * *

Amanda gets into her car and watches Nick drive away. She takes her cell phone out of her purse and types in Evi's cell phone number. _Nothing beats modern technology and old fashioned snooping._

"Evi Serato, we have business." 

* * *

Amanda waits inside an abandoned warehouse. It's fifteen minutes past the appointed time. She senses another Immortal and moments later Evi steps into the warehouse with a rapier in her hand. 

"How did you do it anyway?" 

"I adjusted his tie and while I was at it I slipped a bug inside the knot." 

"Clever, I'll give you that much." Amanda draws her sword. 

"Is this really necessary, Amanda?" 

"Yes, it is. I don't like it when someone almost gets my friends killed." 

"It wasn't anything personal." 

"To me it is." 

"How did you get my number anyway?" 

"I did a little snooping around Bert's place." 

"Clever, you know we would make a good team." 

"Since one of us is dead it's academic." 

"If it's a loyalty to Nick you could tell him you dealt with me. Then we could make a lot of money. Insider information is very valuable." 

"I'm afraid not." 

"How droll. Let's do it." 

The two women cautiously approach each other. Their initial parry is tentative then Amanda ups the tempo. Evi's initial confidence fades as Amanda establishes her sword fighting supremacy. Amanda cuts Evi's left side. Evi strikes Amanda's sword and scurries back. 

"We're doing this over a mortal." 

"Actually three mortals, Bert, Jean-Marc, and Bernie." 

"Long memory." 

"Very long." 

"Sword of Justice." 

"Yes." 

Evi growls and charges at Amanda. The women come together and look into each other's eyes. Amanda raises an eyebrow. Evi collapses and slides off Amanda's broadsword. Amanda cuts down on Evi's neck decapitating her. 

Amanda paces for a few moments then the Quickening strikes her. There's a surge through her body. She sees images of Evi in 17th century Italian clothing poisoning a man whose last act is strangling her. She sees Evi in the 18th century American West where three men hand her money then walk up the back stairs of a building. Shots ring out. Evi dies with Bernie. She closes a suitcase full of money. 

* * *

**EPILOGUE**

Amanda and Nick are at Bert's bedside. Nick summarizes the events. "This was in the knot of your tie. I guess they didn't want any loose ends." 

"She played me and Jean-Marc. Still I can't see how someone can kill her that way. Must have been a real savage." 

Amanda nods. "Yes, a real savage." 

**THE END**

* * *

© 2006   
Please send comments to the author! 

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